Steam-heating apparatus.



T. J. GULLEN.

STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1914.

1 ,124,801 Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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T. J. GULLEN. STEAM HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 24. 1914.

1 1 24,301 Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-1.11140 WASHINGNN. D4 C- THOMAS J. CULLEN',OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

STEAM-HEATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed April 24, 1914. Serial No. 834,151.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CULLEN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Heating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in steam heatingapparatus, especially designed for heating dwellings, apartments, andother places by the radiation of heat conveyed through the steam, andutilized through the usual steam radiators of the tapped top and bottomtype.

The object of the invention is to provide asteam heating system which iseconomical in the consumption of fuel, is eflicient in conveying theradiating heat, and which is simple in arrangement, accuratelycontrolled and regulated, and which is proficient in deriving from thevapor, the best results obtainable in a heating system of thischaractor.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts in connection with the steam boiler, by means of which a vacuum iscreated throughout the system, so that the heating fluid, or steam, maybe conveyed to the several fixtures without obstruction, and in order toavoid and eliminate many objectionable features found in heating systemsof this character which do not have an efficient vacuum or suctionapparatus.

In the accompanying drawings-I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to thebest mode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a steam heating system complete, one fixture or radiatorbeing illustrated. Fig. 2 is a sectional vertical view of the regulatorand indicator of the sys tem, showing the condition of steam and waterthrough the complete system. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectionalview of a regulating valve for the heat in a radiator, and designed toprevent short circuit, and to reduce or choke ofl the live steam fromreturning through the suction or vacuum pipe. Fig. 4 is an enlargeddetail View of the valve plug of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transversesectional view of Fig. 4, on line 55.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a boiler 1, of wellknown type, and the furnace of this boiler is designed to create thevacuum or suction which forms a dominant feature of my invention. Theboiler furnace is provided with a usual type of air draft door 2, andthe chimney or smoke flue 3 is provided with a casing 4 at its juncturewith the boiler 1 showing a second hinged air door 5 similar to, but ofsmaller dimensions than the door 2. The door 2 is designed to permit theintroduction of air to the fuel in the furnace, and the door 5 isdesigned to retard the draft through the flue 3, and these doors areoperated through regulating means as will be described.

The main steam pipe 6 is illustrated as rising from the boiler 1, andextends to the right and left in Fig. 1, so that it may make a completecircuit, and has the radiator supply pipes as 7 extending therefrom. Thesupply pipe 7 as shown in Fig. 1, is connected to the radiator 8, andhas a quick acting controlling valve 9 adjacent the radiator 8, toregulate the supply of steam to the radiator.

The water of condensation in the lower head 13 may return through thevalve 9 and pipe 7 into pipe 6, and thence by pipe 14 to the right inFig. 1, such water may return through the horizontal pipe 15 to thewater space in the boiler.

Into the upper head 16 of the radiator a suction pipe 17 is extended andthis pipe is provided with exit-holes open into the radiator, and areadapted to conducttherefrom the air or gases, and they are conveyedthrough the pipe 19 by suction to the return pipe 20 and from the returnpipe 20 by means of the vertical pipe 21. This pipe 21 extends through aportion of the furnace of the boiler where it is heated by the gases ofcombustion in the furnace, and emerges at the opposite side of theboiler and then passes through the casing 4 and extends a suitabledistance up into the smoke flue 3. This arrangement of the pipe 21 andits passage through a heated portion of the furnace 1 terminating in theflue 3 whereby a draft is caused from the pipe into the flue, causes asuction from the radiator 8 through pipe 19, return pipe 20 and 2]. andthence up into theflue 3, thus removing all obstruction out of the pathof or slits 18 which the live steam passing through the radiator, andtending to create a suction in these parts so that the steam may pass tothe radiator and thereby heat the room.

In Fig. 1, the terminal of the pipe 21 is indicated, and it will ofcourse be understood that the flue 3, which is shown as broken, will, inactual practice, extend up into a chimney or stack beyond the end of thepipe 2 v I In Fig. 1 I have illustrated two cooling tanks as 22 and 23through which coils 24 and 25 of the return pipe 20, are extended, andthese tanks are adapted to receive cold air as through the flue 26, andare provided with the vent '27. These cooling tanks are designed toprevent the passage through the return pipe, of live steam, inasmuch asthey will condense any returning vapor, and the moisture of condensationfrom the coils will be conveyed back to the boiler, from the coil 24 bymeans of a vertical pipe 27, and from the coil 25 by means of an elbow28 condensation will pass to an equalizing vessel '29 which is incommunication with the water space of the boiler through the verticalpipe 30 and the horizontal pipe 31 as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 3, the screw plug or valve 32 is designed to regulatethe passage of the air or gas from the radiator, and thisv L screw plugor valve is of peculiar construction. It is formed in its sides with apair of slots 33-33 which at one end of the plug,

have a maximum depth of almost one half the diameter of the plug, andwhich diminishes to nothing at the opposite end of the plug. This plug32 is incased in the valve casing or fixture 34 located at the head ofthe pipe 19, and the valve munication through the plug 32 with theoutlet or vacuum pipe 17 in the top of the radiator. Within the casing34 a grid or perforated partition 35 is provided to prevent the loss ofthe plug 32 as it is adjusted within the casing. A screw plug 36threaded into a bushing 37 in the casing 34 may be removed and accessmay be had to the plug 32 by means of a screw driver, so that the plugmay be turned to the right to reduce the passage of gas through thecasing, or to the left to increase the passage of the gas through thecasing. By turning the plug in either direction, it will be understoodthat the supply of dry steam to the v radiator is regulated, and in thismanner the maximum flow of steam through the radiator may be determined.It will, of course, be understood that the valve 9 may be employed toentirely shut off the steam from the radiator, and thereby regulate theadmission of steam to the radiator, but the action of the valve 9 willbe determined by the position of the screw plug 32 as will beunderstood.

is situated.

casing is in com- I The equalizing and draft regulating device inclosedin the vessel 29 is designed to adjust the two doors 2 and 5. Thisvessel or tank 29 is adapted to receive moisture from condensationthrough the pipe 28 which has its lower end 38 submerged below the waterline in the tank and in Fig. 1, it will be noted that the high waterline of the gage 39, is the same as the low water line of the boiler inthe tank 29. Steam from the main pipe 6 is introduced into the tank 29through the connecting pipe 40, and this pipe 40 has a downwardextension 41 for the water of condensation to pass to the horizontalpipe 31.

lVithin the tank 29 the steam pipe 40 connects with the casing 42 inwhich the safety valve 43 is adapted to operate, and an outlet elbow 44opens within the tank 29 from the casing 42, and in this manner steampressure is permitted to enter the tank 29. In the present constructionhowever should the boiler blow off water instead of steam the water willsimply run into the receiver and back into the boiler instead of.overflowing into the room in which the furnace l/Vithin the tank 29 afloat 45 is suspended by means of the stem 46 and the pivoted slottedlink 47. This link 47 is pivoted at 48 to the stem 46, and at 49 ispivoted to the inner wall of the tank 29. A second link 50 which ispivoted at 49' is also connected with the link 47 by means of avertically arranged link 50', and this link 50 is adapted to engage amember 54 which is adjustable on the valve stem 51. This member 54 is ametallic bar, bentso that its shank will project through one of theperforations 51 in the stem 51, and an arm 54 will be suspended at theside of the stem 51, in the path of movement of the link 50. A chain 52is attached at 53 to the link 47. Thus, when the float 45 is lifted bythe water, the link 50 through the de scribed connection, is lifteduntil it engages the arm 54 of the member 54, and a continued risingmovement of the ball lifts the valve 43 from its seat as will beunderstood.

In Fig. 1, it will be seen that this chain passes over suitable pulleys53, and that the chain branches into two sections 54 and 55, the formerhaving a rocking arm 56, and attached to the door 5, and the latterattached to the door 2. In Fig. 1, the draft the draft and consequentlyincrease the steam pressure in the boiler, or decrease the draft, byclosing the door 2 and opening the door 5. This regulation isaccomplished by the presence in the tank 29 of the water of condensationand the steam acting upon the float 45 which operates the describedmechanism connected to the chains 52, 54 and 55. The pressure within thetank is indicated on the scale 57 and in Fig. 1, it will be noted thatthe highest point of the water glass 39 011 the boiler is on a levelwith the lowest point of the water line in the tank 29.

The cooling tanks 22 and 23 also aid materially in providing anefficient system, and by means of these tanks to which cold air fromoutside the house is drawn, any steam that may escape through the valvecasing 34: finds its way through return pipe 19, will be condensed andthus prevented from returning through pipe 21.

A further meritorious feature of the invention resides in thearrangement of the pipe 21 as it passes through the boiler furnace andinto the smoke flue 3. The heat from the furnace causes a circulation ofair in the pipe 21, the heated air passing up through the flue 3 andthus tending to cause a vacuum through the pipe 21, and this vacuuminsures a movement of air and gas through the pipe 19 from the radiator8, and in this manner all of the radiators are cleared of air and gases,so that the steam may enter and reach all parts of the radiator. 111this manner the heat is uniformly distributed throughout the system, andwater of condensation will be drained back through the pipe 7 into pipe6, and then into the water space of the boiler as before described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a boiler, its furnace, and smoke flue, of asteam radiator, a steam pipe communicating with the boiler and radiator,a return pipe from the radiator extending through the boiler furnace,where it is heated to cause circulation of air therein, and into thesmoke flue, and means for controlling the passage of gases from theradiator to the return pipe comprising a screw plug forming a valve andhaving longitudinal tapered slots therein to control the passagetherethrough of gases from the radiator.

2. The combination with a boiler, its furnace, and smoke flue, of asteam radiator, a steam pipe communicating with the boiler and radiator,a return pipe from the radiator extending through the boiler furnace,where it is heated to cause circulation of air therein, and into thesmoke flue, a condensing coil in the return pipe, and means forcontrolling the passage of gases from the radiator to the return pipecomprising a screw plug forming a valve and having longitudinal taperedslots therein to control the passage therethrough of gases from theradiator.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. CULLEN.

WVitnesses:

J. J. KINKEAD, MARGARET E. McCoRMAoK.

Copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

